Kingwal Wetland Field Assistant Eva Bii, left, shares soap, handwash and masks with members of communities where we work. Our entire Kenya team – Maurice Wanjala, Dr. Joseph Mwangi, Eva, Damaris Kisha and Vivian Nekesa – participated in the COVID-19 supplies distribution.

Like a devastating bushfire, the COVID-19 pandemic has spread with alarming speed, unleashing both an economic and health crisis, unlike any experienced in the last century. In March this year, Kenya reported its first case of COVID-19. The pandemic is much more than a health crisis, as it is affecting the socio-economic life of every individual and country. The number of reported infections in Kenya is still rising, attributed to, among others, poverty, poor access to essential services such as clean water and sanitation, and poor hygiene practices. Measures put forward by the government to curb the spread of the virus have focused on ensuring basic hygiene and social distancing, requiring every individual to wash hands frequently, sanitize and wear masks in public places.